Trust God Not Fear – 8

Trust God Not Fear – 8

Subject – Why Sit There Until You Die

by Rick Welborne

2 Kings 7:1‑4 (NLT) 

1 Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.” 

2 The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!” 

3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. 

4 “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.” 

1. Things can be better for you.

–You don’t understand, Pastor, I am a leper...I am an outcast...I am separated from my loved ones...I have an incurable sickness...an incurable addiction...I am a loser. I am afraid of Covid 19.

–I may be surrounded by people, by family, by your church but if everyone knew my dirty little secrets no one would accept me...I am a lost cause. Leprosy hurts.

–Maybe you have had words spoken to you or over you that have found a resting place in your heart and you know you will never be anything but a leper...word curses. Curses can be broken!

–You have it bad (you think) but listen to how bad it was for the people of Samaria...Ben Hadad had the city besieged and everyone was starving.

2 Kings 6:25‑30 (NLT) 

25 As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove’s dung sold for five pieces of silver. 

26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, “Please help me, my lord the king!” 

27 He answered, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you.” 

28 But then the king asked, “What is the matter?” She replied, “This woman said to me: ‘Come on, let’s eat your son today, then we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 

29 So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said to her, ‘Kill your son so we can eat him,’ but she has hidden her son.” 

30 When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin. 

–Let me caution you parents...single or married...Your decision to sit there until you die may cause your children to be devoured. The enemy targets our kids for sure.

–You can get into such a place that you can convince yourself that God has doomed you to destruction:

2 Kings 6:33 (NLT) 

33 While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, “All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”   

–Good News. The message from the Lord is that in just a day there can be abundance from the Lord but you must not sit there until you die. Jesus said:

John 10:10‑11 (NKJV) 

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 

–Why sit there when God is promising life and that abundantly.

John 8:36 (NKJV) 

36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

2. Why not confront your enemy.

–I wish to God that there would arise in us a spirit (Holy Spirit) that would say...this enemy of mine will be confronted and if I die, I die! Please be willing to go out fighting! Fight fear with your faith!

–What glory is there staying in the pig pen of life and just deciding this is all there is? God is looking for people who will, by His grace, overcome their fear, and finish their race.

–These four lepers need to motivate us not to accept the status quo but to realize beyond this present situation can be a glorious miracle. How will you know unless you confront your fears?

–If we stay here we die...if we go to the city we die...but let’s face our enemy and sees what happen...Paul said:

Philippians 1:19‑21 (NKJV) 

19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 

21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

–We need someone at the gate to put their “I know” on...I know that this will turn out for my deliverance ...whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV) 

12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 

Job 19:25‑26 (NKJV) 

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 

26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 

Job 42:2 (NKJV) 

2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 

Psalm 56:9 (NKJV) 

9 When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. 

Psalm 135:5 (NKJV) 

5 For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. 

Philippians 4:11‑13 (NKJV) 

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 

12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

--It is good to know but it is better to know to the point that you will run toward your Goliath and confront your enemy with what God has put in your hands.

3. Why not be the hero of the story.

2 Kings 7:5‑11 (NLT) 

5 So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 

6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. 

7 So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives. 

8 When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 

9 Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.” 

10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. “We went out to the Aramean camp,” they said, “and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn’t a single person around!” 

11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace. 

–One thing is for sure...you will never be the hero of the story if you do not get up, arise from your sitting, and face your enemy. 5 So many Christians wallow in their mess so much that they never get out. Fear.

–When they got there they did not have to face the enemy because the enemy had been confronted by the face of God. The battle is not yours but the Lord’s!

–These four were set up to be heroes because God made the enemy hear what was not there...chariots, horses, a great army. Do what you can and God will do what you can’t.

–Pastor Rick, I don’t have...I can’t because...It is not possible because...how do you know what God will or will not do? Why sit there until you die? Get up and see a miracle.

Mark 10:27 (NKJV) 

27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." 

–When God does the impossible please do not forget where your miracle came from...

--God’s deliverance and rescue of you is not all about you!

2 Kings 7:8-9 (NLT) 

8 When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 

9 Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.” 

–God’s miracle for you can be and should be a miracle for someone else. Why sit here until we die becomes Why sit here until they die? We have the good news!

–When Israel was being routed by their enemy...Joshua fell on his face and began to cry out...There is a time to cry out but there is a time to “Get up” and do something.

–Time to get up and get out of the boat...time to get up and face your enemy...Sounds like God was a little frustrated with Joshua:

Joshua 7:10‑13 (NKJV) 

10 So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 

11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 

12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 

13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you." 

–If you will be a hero for God...why sit there until you die...Get up! Get up!

--I went to the enemy’s camp and I took back what he stole from me!

The Cross and the Finished Work

Easter – 2020 – The Cross and the Finished Work

Subject – Finishing the Work

by Rick Welborne

John 4:34-37 (NKJV)
³⁴  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
³⁵  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
³⁶  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
³⁷  For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.'

--Today I want wrap up this series in talking about Easter 2020 and the cross. Of course, we can never stop talking about the cross of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God to salvation for all of us.

--So much is said about worship but today I want to talk to you about the deepest form of worship which glorifies the Father. Absolutely, we want to make God great in all we do!

--Pastor, how can we make God great? He never changes and He has always been great. Hear me, it is not us changing Him but it is us changing as we worship Him.

--We worship Him, we exalt Him, we glorify Him by saying great things about Him. We lift Him up above anyone or anything else. That should be our goal. This blesses us.

--The last thirty to forty years there has be a resurgence of praise and worship music. It has become a major art-form in our churches. It has become big business in the Christian world.

--For many years the ministers, the pastors, and the evangelist were the superstars but now it is the worship leaders of mega churches who are the superstars. 

--To me this is sad on both accounts because there is truly only One Superstar and His Name is Jesus. We all play our part but we are not the deal. Jesus is center stage or He should be. He has to be.

--We all love praise and worship and hopefully all of us have found a way to continue during this time of isolation. All of us should be worshiping Jesus every day whether there is a Pandemic or not. 

Psalm 34:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²  My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
³  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
⁴  I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 

--I really believe there is going to be an amazing Presence of Holy Spirit in our time of worship when we get back together. Lifting our voices, lifting our hands. How great that will be. Next Sunday! PTL!

--Praise and worship has become very high tech with lights, fog machines, sound tracks, and lots of showmanship. It seems like a little much when Jesus was born in a manger. Church started in an upper room.

--That being said, everyone has to work out there on salvation with fear and trembling. In my Master’s program one of our instructors told us that the worship leader does not worship during the live service…He directs. 

--The professor (doctor) said that the worship leader does his praying and worshiping before the service but once on stage, he is directing others. Though I understood what he was saying, I humbly disagreed. He should do both.

--I will bless the Lord at all times. Singing, preaching, leading, playing or whatever we are doing we should be worshiping God with all our hearts. Yes, you have to concentrate but worship.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)                                                                                                                          ³¹  Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

--I remember one of the churches I went to with some girl I was dating before I got saved, three girls sang a special (did a great job) and encouraged people to clap. The church almost split over that. Crazy!

--Today I want to talk about a deeper way of worshiping God, a much deeper way of truly worshiping Him.

John 17:1-7 (NIV)
¹  After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
²  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
³  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
⁴  I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
⁵  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
⁶  "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
⁷  Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 

1. A Deeper Form of Worship.

--It is wonderful when we say PTL, Halleluiah, I love you, Jesus, and other expressions of worship. As long as we are sincere it is meaningful. But today we are moving into deeper waters. 

--Jesus is expressing to the Father here how He longs to be back with Him as He was before the world began. This is such a beautiful picture of the intimacy between the Father and Son.

--This prayer in John 17 is the longest prayer in the Bible and it is definitely a wonderful look into the heart of Jesus for His disciples and for us.

--In John 14-16 Jesus is doing a great teaching telling His followers not to worry because He is going to prepare a place for them so where He is they can be there also. He teaches about Holy Spirit coming.

John 16:7 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

--He teaches them about how He is the Vine and they are the branches. He tells them to abide in Him, stay connected to Him, and they will bear much fruit. He warns how they will be hated. It won’t be easy.

--Jesus looks to Heaven and begins to pray for them. Can you imagine listening to this prayer live, not pre-recorded? How awesome it is to hear a true saint of God talk to God. Imagine Jesus praying.

--When you hear people praying you hear their passion, their heart, their vision. You hear what is of most importance to them. You hear their love for God. What a revelation to hear Jesus pray for His people.

--Jesus prays that the time (the hour) has come…what is He talking about? The time has come for Him to be crucified for all of us. He taught and He did miracles but He came to give His life for us. This is it.     

-- Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. Honor Me that I might honor you. What an example for us.

--Jesus always lived His life in such a way that whatever the Father gave Him, He would give it back. You glorify Me and I will glorify You even more. How beautiful.

--Jesus gives a great definition of eternal life. We would say it is living in Heaven forever but Jesus says something different. Eternal life is them knowing You, Father, and Me, your Son. Intimacy with God. 17:3

2. I Have Finished the Work.

--Jesus says I have brought You glory, not by singing, praising, lifting My hands. Something much deeper. I have brought You glory by finishing (completing) the work you gave Me to do.

--Jesus said I have brought glory to Your Name not by serving an hour, days, or a few years but I have completed the assignment you gave Me…I finished what You gave Me to do. My entire life was worship.

--I did what You told Me to do when You told Me to do it. You said, don’t start preaching until you are 30. I said what You told Me to say and I did whatever you told Me to do. I completed the assignment.

--The only way we glorify God is to do and to complete whatever assignment He has given us. If I live anyway I want to during the week and then come to church on Sunday and sing, To God be the glory. Shallow.

--Jesus said I finished the work you gave Me to do. What was that work? I revealed You, Father, to those you gave Me. Basic mission of Jesus was to reveal the Father to the world.

--Think about this, in the OT no one had seen God but in the NT Jesus comes and reveals to us what the Father is like and Who He is. 

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
²  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
³  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…

Colossians 1:13-15 (NKJV)
¹³  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
¹⁴  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

--You can get many images of God from preachers and books making Him out to be an abusive tyrant but if you really want to see Who the Father is, look at Jesus. Jesus came to reveal God the Father.

--As the Son of Man, Jesus revealed to us that everything He had, came from the Father. All the glory Jesus had with the Father pre-earth He gave up so He could be touched by the feelings of our infirmities.

John 8:28-29 (NKJV)
²⁸  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
²⁹  And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

--Jesus did what He did and said what He said based on what the Father told Him. Jesus, why didn’t You speak to Herod after You were arrested. The Father said don’t talk. I obey My Father.

--Before Jesus came on the scene John the Baptist was the hottest preacher in town. When Jesus started His ministry, the crowds thinned out for John. He must increase, I must decrease. Listen to John the Baptist.

John 3:27 (NKJV)
²⁷  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

--Jesus was doing the assignment given to Him from Heaven. Teaching, healing, close encounters with people, but there was more. Arrested, trial, mocking, beard plucked out, beating, the cross, the spear, death. Buried.

--Review…Jesus revealed the Father, He showed the disciples how to live, and He completed the personal assignment God gave Him. How does that affect us?

3. Our Personal Application

--We should be able to apply how Jesus lived to ourselves. That will be difficult if we live our lives Monday thru Saturday for us, for what we want, for what we do, and then, try to draw close to God on Sunday.

--Sometimes when I speak to career people in our church, whether they are mechanics, electricians, or other hi-tech people, I want to offer suggestions. They don’t say it but should. Pastor stay in your lane.

--So often we stay in our own lane all week and then, on Sunday, we want to jump in God’s lane. We should be in His lane all week long and Sunday is just a continuation of us completing our work. Let’s apply it:

John 20:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
²²  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

A. Jesus was saying the Father has sent Me to complete My work and now I am sending you. You glorify me by you completing your work assignment. 

B. Jesus said I was sent to reveal the Father and now you are being sent to reveal Me. So many are not reading the Bible…you will be the only revelation they have of Who I am. Represent Me well.

--How we talk, how we react (Motorcycle school taught us to respond not to react), how we answer someone who is rude, how we deal with Covid 19, all this and more shows them Jesus in us. Be Christ-like. 

--Hopefully we have been showing Jesus to a fearful world during this Pandemic. 

C. Like Jesus, we need to show the world that everything we have belongs to God. Not about me and mine, not 100 selfies a day, I am just a steward. It is all His…I am His.

--How can you have peace? Jesus. How are you paying your bills? He supplies all my needs. How can you have joy? Jesus is the joy and lifter of head. David honors God because everything came from Him. Who am I?

--Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory. God will let us share in His Kingdom, He will let share with Him in power (you shall receive power), but God will never share His glory with another. 

 Colossians 4:17 (NCV)
¹⁷  Tell Archippus, “Be sure to finish the work the Lord gave you.“ 

--Find God’s plan and finish the work!

Trust God Not Fear – 7

Trust God Not Fear – 7

Subject – Finding the Courage to Move Forward

by Rick Welborne

1 Kings 19:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
²  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
⁵  Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
⁶  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
⁷  Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
⁸  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 

--Tonight I want to speak to you about something I feel is going to resonate with many of us, including myself. Sometimes, after serving God for a while, we find ourselves in a place much like Elijah. Fearful.

--He had been greatly and miraculously used by God but now his life all of a sudden appears to be dark and empty. Before he felt he was headed for a specific destination but now he seems lost. 

--Someone was sharing with me the other day their frustration with life and how empty they felt. I knew their story so I took the liberty to do an evaluation of where they were.

--This person (older than me) had been very successful in their career, had plenty of finances to retire, surrounded by family and friends, and had a miraculous encounter with Jesus…this person was healed. 

--I told this person…you have felt so blessed in so many ways…you have even felt successful in ways you could have only dreamed, ninety percent of your life absolutely could not be better. 

--The problem is that 10% that you cannot ever seem to get where you want it to be. You pray, you fast, you beg God, you read books, you do everything, yet that part of your life is sucking the life out of you.

--Sadly, this is not something you have dealt with for a few days, a few months, and not even a few years. This has become your thorn in the flesh that seems to have plagued you for years. How did you know?

--I did not ask this person what the 10% was because that was between them and God. How did I know? I knew because I have had the 10% syndrome also making me feel the same way. 

--Why is human nature that way, 90% of our lives can be wonderful but we can’t seem to enjoy it because the 10% keeps us pre-occupied with hurt and frustration. Emptiness and pain. Fear.

--It is as though our lives are a mindless and spiritless journey crammed with events (not experiences) and contacts (not relationships). Where am I going? What does all this mean?

--Why has this journey with Jesus turned into a wearisome journey? When will I find tranquility and peace again? To claim that such questions do not occur to a Christian is to be unrealistic, and actually, unhelpful.

--For many, and maybe for most, these questions come and they come often, and for those who deny it, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that your life is always all together. 

--I think Simon Peter was in the middle of one of those dark road experiences when he said, “I am going fishing.” My guess is Peter was on the edge of physical, spiritual, and psychological burnout.

--Too much was happening too fast in his life and he was struggling to process it all. Judas betrayed Jesus, he denied Him, the trial, the crucifixion, and rumors of Jesus’ resurrection was taking its toll.

--The inner personal world of Peter could only absorb so much and we could argue he should have been informed and ready, the truth is, he wasn’t. Neither are we ready all the time when fear mount up.

--He became numb and retreated to the only thing he knew he could do with certainty…go fishing. Maybe going back to what he was familiar with would restore that which he had lost deep within. What’s your default?

--When things do not go well for us we all have a default mechanism that we run to…hopefully it is God, but many times, that is not the case. Porn, drugs, relationships, alcohol…maybe you go fishing or play tennis.

--Peter’s struggle, Elijah’s struggle with all this fear and fatigue did not go on forever. Jesus showed up for Peter and the angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) shows up with loving kindness for Elijah.

--The similarities are amazing…he shows up with food, water, and hope. Jesus is doing the same thing for you and me today, He is showing up with food (the Word), water (Holy Spirit), and with hope of a future.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT2)
¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
¹²  In those days when you pray, I will listen.
¹³  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

--Jesus shows up to encourage…He dealt with the pain in Peter’s life of fear and shame, the embarrassment of failure or running, the confusion of mixed motives and goals. He comes to restore us. To heal us.

--This encounter…this wonderful encounter, whether it is here at our altars, in your car, or next to your bed at home…the mission of Jesus is to get us to the place where we say…I must move forward!

--We think we can arrive at this place of contentment by doing more, doing more, faster, if we are busier and going at a break-neck speed, we can arrive at our destination faster. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.

--We find that every mile we travel we grow more and more fearful and tired. I must admit that there is no fatigue like thinking I have to get myself to a destination and I have to hurry. End up under a broom tree.

1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT2)
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--We have all seen people on this journey who seemed to be going full blast toward destiny only to crash and burn. Others seem to just disappear and we wonder where in the world did they go? Under a bridge somewhere.

--If we are fortunate enough to have not crashed (that anyone knows about) or have not disappeared we keep pressing forward knowing we can’t go back but we are becoming wearier the further we go. Fear and fatigue.

--We have all had well-meaning Christian friends who have given us the plan, the formula, the teaching, the conference, the evangelist, or whatever that guaranteed would bring us out of our valley. It didn’t.

--I finally got frustrated with taking people to conferences that were designed to sell us products that would revolutionize our church…we would come home and everyone wanted me to implement the plan. More work!

--What I quickly discovered was that there are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, no easy ways to cultivate an intimacy with God, to move beyond fear, and attain the resulting passion that should carry one through life’s journey.

--Listen to Elijah’s words (the guy who just called fire down from heaven and killed 850 false prophets), I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. Afraid of Jezebel!

--How many of you are glad that God has not answered all of our prayers…I’ve had it, God, so just kill me! We probably do not want to ever confess the times we asked God to kill others in our lives. 

--We can try the methods and the gimmicks to get through a time like this but what I have discovered is that there are no shortcuts or no easy ways to cultivate a close loving relationship with God.

--What I do know about being in this valley of the shadow of death is this…I must move forward. I need something …I need someone who can bring me out and renew the passion that will carry me through.

--We feel as though one more criticism from our spouse, one more negative thing from a church member, one more straw on the camel’s back and something is going to break. We hear about a wonderful breakthrough:

Gordon MacDonald – It dawned on me that I and scores of others were paying a terrible price for this search for some magical breakthrough. We were trying harder, working longer, breathing heavier, and getting wearier. And it was an unpleasant journey when it should not have been. We would have never admitted it, but we were tired of God, of faith, and faith’s people. Now, how could a call to abundant living turn into such dullness of spirit. That we should tire of Him was not God’s fault. Rather this weariness calls into question the system of spirituality many of us have been taught. 

--The Bible is filled with story after story about great breakthroughs that people have experienced, but if you think like I do, you ask what happened during those times that are not recorded in the Word?

--For example, after Jesus’ appearance in the temple talking with the scholars we know He grew in wisdom and stature after that but what happened to Him until He was thirty years of age?

--Probably the person I have thought about the most in this regard has been Joseph…when he was a teenager he was given great promises. Best estimates say that it was about a 22-year process to get him to the prize.

--I have asked the question (at least in my mind) how did he handle the meanness of his brothers, Potiphar’s wife lying, and being forgotten in prison. How was he processing all this stuff?

--Yes, we have glimpse of his heart and endurance but we do not see it all. Just like with each other, we get small windows into each other’s lives but we do not know what the whole story is. Was he ever fearful?

1. Between the promise and the prize there is a process.

--You see; it is during the process where the battle is won or lost. We can all come and worship God on Sundays or Wednesdays, but it is a long lonely time from one service to the next.

--Until we become transparent about the alone times and the struggles we have, it will be hard for us to find healing and wholeness in our lives. We all have been hurt or we have fears we are dealing with now.

Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

Luke 4:18 (NCV)
¹⁸  “The Lord has put his Spirit in me, because he appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly… 

--There it is…God sent Me to free those who have been treated unfairly. During the quiet times we try to process why people and even why God is treating us unfairly. It hurts. Marriage, family, church, work.

--We have to be willing to get past our stage face and be honest with ourselves, honest with others, and honest with God. Between the promise and the prize there is a process and it hurts. 

2. It is much easier to tell others how to get out of their pit than to get out of ours. 

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

--Our preachy nature makes us rush past where the psalmist was to where God brought him. He is in a time of waiting (a time of process), a time of crying, a time in a horrible pit, and a time of being stuck…miry clay. 

--If you study the word ‘inclined’ it tells us when a person is actually on their death bed and the only strength they have is to get out a whisper…God bends down low to make sure He hears the heart of the person hurting. 

--As we walk through this process together…I Can’t Stay Here…I want to assure you that no matter where you are in this process, your Heavenly Father is bending low to hear the faintest whisper. 

--The purpose of these verses and this series is to make sure you know you have a God Who wants to bring you out of your pit, to set your feet upon the Rock (Jesus), and to put a new song in your heart. 

--Many need a song…I need a song. You cannot understand what I am talking about today, please pray for those of us who need their spiritual passion to be renewed by what God does in us. Take notes. You’ll need it!

3. I must move forward.

--So why am I preaching this series? I believe there is a real group of American Christians who are growing more and more weary and fearful as they continue on this journey. COVID 19

MacDonald – We have tried the gimmicks, the programs, the promises of a thousand and one gurus of the faith. Here and there one view or another seems to catch on. But for many, the journey is a bore-some task, but we can’t turn back, but we’re almost too tired to go on. 

1 Kings 19:4 (NLT2)
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--Elijah had had it and many of you, many of us, have had it too. I see it in your faces. Elijah was physically, spiritually, and emotionally worn out…burn out. God had a word for him and for us!

Get up and eat! Declare…I Can’t Stay Here Anymore!

The Cross and Covid 19

Cross and Covid 19

Subject – A Response to the Coronavirus

by Rick Welborne

Acts 12:1-16 (NIV)
¹  It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
²  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
³  When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
⁴  After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
⁵  So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
⁶  The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
⁷  Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.
⁸  Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.
⁹  Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
¹⁰  They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
¹¹  Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."
¹²  When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
¹³  Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.
¹⁴  When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"
¹⁵  "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."
¹⁶  But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 

--I listened to a message from one of our missionaries and he said it was sensitive so it could not be shared on line. He is in a sensitive area. I want to try to share his thoughts with some Rickaneese thrown in.

--I hope we are thinking properly during this time but I am very afraid that many are not. The conspiracies continue from pastors and believers who should be more mature. Please stop!

--This is an unprecedented time for us but not unprecedented in history. How the true church has responded to plagues in times past has changed the course of history. Will we rise up for such a time as this? 

--The church historically did not deny the plagues existed and they did not think it was judgment on those rotten sinners. They saw it as a time to serve others and to shine for Christ. To share the love of Christ. 

--The true church actually grew through times of pandemics which helped change the world. Their response was how can we serve people and glorify God?

1. They were astonished.

--In our text we saw the people at the prayer meeting for Peter astonished. What surprises you? What astonishes you? The early church was astonished that God chose to deliver Peter. 

--They were not astonished that Peter was in prison or that James had been beheaded but they were astonished that Peter was delivered. I am sure they were praying for him.

--I am sure people were praying for Stephen (the first martyr) as he was being stoned and I am sure believers were praying for God to rescue Jesus as He was being crucified on the cross.

--They believed in God’s power to deliver, but because of what they had seen before, they had come to believe that Peter was going to die. Not a lack of faith but a big dose of reality. 

--They were astonished that God delivered Peter because they had come to believe that suffering was a part of life for those who chose to follow Christ. There was a good chance you would die following Jesus.

--See the contrasts with us today about what astonishes us. What surprises us today is not good news but bad news. We are like Job’s friends, as soon as something bad happens we think someone sinned for sure.

--When we face something bad we ask “Why me?” I have been shocked by the selfishness of the church thru this time. Everything is about us. Tell that to the millions who have lost their jobs and are in food lines.

--Maybe we should reverse this “Why me?” especially in this virus. Why me, why am I so blessed, why do I have Jesus to walk with me thru this time, why do I have a church family to help? Yes, indeed! Why me?

--Our modern way of looking at the Word has caused us to sanitize the parts we don’t like. NIV heading says of our text…Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison. James dies and barely gets noticed. Bad news.

--Our modern theology tells us that those who follow Christ become happier, joyous, and prosperous. We have heard the safest place in the world to be is in God’s perfect will. 

--Try telling that to James as they beheaded him, Stephen as they stoned him to death, or Jesus as they crucified Him. Life was not safe for those who followed Jesus. Ask the apostles. All of them.

Matthew 10:16 (NKJV) ¹⁶  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Timothy Keller – The basic premise of religion says that if you live a good life, things will go well for you is wrong. Jesus was the most morally upright person who ever lived and he lived a life of poverty, rejection, injustice, and even torture. 

--Why is knowing this so important? When we think only good, blessings, prosperity, and joy wait for us, we are extremely hindered when we face something like COVID 19.

--We look for someone to blame instead of asking God what would He have us to do. God’s requirement for those who will take this gospel to the ends of the earth often require pain and suffering. Leaving secure jobs.

--When we think life is all about us, when a virus hits we tend to look inward instead of outward. We seek to save our lives at all cost. Christians hoard and hunker down. So sad.

Mark 8:34-36 (NKJV)
³⁴  When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
³⁵  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
³⁶  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

2. Our theology and thoughts about God. 

--One of the greatest problems in the church today is that we think God’s chief purpose is our happiness, our prosperity, our health, and our comfort. Suffering, pain, and sacrifice are not acceptable.

--Yes, God loves us but His chief purpose for us is to bring salvation to all people, to glorify God, and to make Jesus famous in all the earth. This is why we must be a missions’ church!

--During the 1700-1800 the people of the church were so uneducated that the church formed catechisms to teach people the doctrines of the church. One of the first on the list was this:

West Minster Catechism – What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  

--So how was it that the early church expanded and changed the then known world? Listen to their mindset:

Philippians 1:29 (NKJV)
²⁹  For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

2 Timothy 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

--When Paul reviews his life with Jesus, look at what he brings to mind. Notice the word danger not blessings.

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 (NIV)
²⁴  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
²⁵  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
²⁶  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
²⁷  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

--When Paul describes his life with Jesus it does not sound like an easy road but a dangerous road. Following Jesus does not make our lives easier or free from worry. We face Pandemics, suffering, persecution, and pain.

Acts 20:22-23 (NIV)
²²  "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
²³  I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

--Let’s face it, with our mindset today, if God warned us that prison and hardship were waiting on us wherever we were going, we would say “Thank You, Lord, for keeping from going.” Paul went anyway.

 Acts 20:24 (NIV) ²⁴  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. 

--If our theology tells us that God’s chief purpose is our joy, our prosperity, and blessings, it will keep us from going and doing what He wants us to do. Remember Jesus didn’t come to save Himself…to save others.

--A prophet, Agabus, comes to Paul and takes his belt and ties his own hands and feet and says Holy Spirit warns that the owner of this belt will be bound in Jerusalem. They beg Paul not to go.

Acts 21:13 (NIV)
¹³  Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

--How many Christians in the medical field have been begged by their families to stay away from the hospitals and the sick. They can’t because their calling is from God. It is not about self-preservation. 

1 Peter 2:21 (NIV) ²¹  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)
¹²  Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
¹³  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 

--Remember we talked about what surprises us. Peter said don’t be surprised by the fiery trial but to rejoice that we get to suffer with Christ. What a different theology of today. This is Biblical, Life Church!

--Does the church again turn inward or do we do our best to reach out to those who are hurting and to those who are hungry? Thank God for those who continue to minister at our House of Hope every week.

Martin Luther – Should Christians flee the plague? We die at our post. Christian doctors cannot abandon their hospitals, governors cannot abandon their districts, pastors cannot abandon their churches. The plague does not absolve us of our duties, it turns them into crosses on which we must be prepared to die.

3. Suffering with Christ.

--All these people were following the example of Jesus as He left the comforts of heaven to come and rescue us. He didn’t come to us and then, live separate from us. He suffered for us.

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT2)                                                                                                                                             ¹⁸  Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

--If Jesus is going to be revealed during COVID 19, it will be because Christians (doctors, nurses, law enforcement, pastors, churches) are willing to walk with people thru their pain. Five lessons:

1. Remember when it seems everything is changing, nothing really changes. Jesus is the same!

2. Wash your hands, and then, wash someone’s feet. Then, wash your hands again. Serve like Jesus.

3. Allow God to search you. Let Him examine you to see if you are into self-preservation or are we people of the Spirit, serving this world and one another.

4. Don’t be self-righteous. This is the worse sin we can have during this time. Pray for and encourage others.

5. Point people to Jesus. Fear is almost as bad as the virus. People need hope, they need Jesus.

Trust God Not Fear – 6

Trust God Not Fear – 6

Subject – Leaning on Each Other - Community

by Rick Welborne

Luke 5:18-26 (NLT2)
¹⁸  Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,
¹⁹  but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
²⁰  Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
²¹  But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
²²  Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?
²³  Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?
²⁴  So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
²⁵  And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.
²⁶  Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” 

--Being in the ministry for a few years I have heard a particular statement many times and I do believe there is truth to it that bears some attention. 

--Pastor Rick, I know God is with me and I know Holy Spirit is in me but I need something or someone with flesh (skin) on it. Most people say this when they want a man or woman!

--I believe that if there is a story that addresses this issue of needing each other and being there for each other, it is this one. Hopefully we will look at how trusting each other is trusting God and minimizing fear.

--They chose to become friends. These guys chose to be a friend to someone who indeed needed a friend.

John Ortberg – The requirement for true community is chunks of unhurried time. If you think you can fit deep community into the cracks of an overloaded schedule---think again. Wise people do not try to micro-wave friendship, parenting, or marriage. You can’t do community in a hurry. 

--Everyone has a mat. This guy was paralyzed physically. Maybe we are paralyzed by fear especially during a Pandemic. There is so much that paralyzes us. 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
⁸  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--You must allow someone to carry your mat. If you will learn to trust God through people, you will have to work with them. You will have to be patient and forgiving.

Jean Vanier – There is no ideal community. Community is made up of people with all their richness, but also with their weakness and poverty, of people who accept and forgive each other, who are vulnerable with each other. Humility and trust are more at the foundation of community than perfection. 

--Tonight I want to share this story about this small community, this small connect group, this community of roof crashers. We need more roof crashers. People willing to get their hands dirty.

--These four friends get word that Jesus was there in their town and, of course, they want to hear this famous Rabbi. One of them says, “We have to get our friend to hear Jesus!”

--This could really be encouraging to him and if everything we have heard about Jesus is true…maybe, just maybe our friend will be healed. We have to get him there!

--To do what they are wanting to do will not be easy logistically. It is so important to understand that they were not thinking about themselves, they were thinking about their friend. They wanted to relieve his fear.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV)
³  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
⁴  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

This is key to community - True friends get their friends to Jesus!

--They tell their friend that he is going to see Jesus. They tell him they will be there at 9:00 to pick him up. He really doesn’t have much choice because when his friends pick him up, they really pick him up.

--They arrive at the house where Jesus is teaching and the house is packed…standing room only. There was no room left, not even outside the door. Jesus is so close but they can’t get to Him.

--You see, this happened before the American churches adopted the unwritten verse…Thou shall place a bulletin on the pew to reserve your seat and anyone who sits there on shall be cast into outer darkness. Amen!

--These friends had not counted on the crowd. One of them (the management guy) says how can we get him to Jesus…let’s brainstorm. Remember, no idea is a bad idea. 

--Soon one of them gets an idea…probably the youngest, the tattooed and pierced guy…I have an idea, Dudes! What if we make a hole in the roof and lower him down? Whoaaa! Any other ideas? There are none.

1. People of community push past their fear and are desperate to get their friends to Jesus.

--This can be for salvation, deliverance, or healing but holy desperation is necessary to get people to Jesus. Community recognizes that the only hope people have is Jesus.

--They are so desperate to get to Jesus that they decide nothing was going to get in their way…not even a crowd or a roof. They were motivated by their love for their friend and their trust that Jesus could do something.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 

--Catch how these verses tell us that our trust in the Lord will bring us to the healing we need. Your trust in the Lord will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. This man needed that.

--So they get ropes to lower him and they head up on the roof. Many house had outside stairs which led up on the roof which was used like a patio area. 

--I am sure people outside the house were asking them what were they doing and were told how ridiculous of an idea it was. When you are truly desperate, you do not care what people think. 

--Years ago as I was fulfilling my call to restaurant ministry…I met a young lady by the name of Hollie. For about two years I felt such a holy desperation to get her to Jesus.

--She met my entire family and we would encourage her to come to church and to come to Jesus. She would disappear for a while and then, show up at another restaurant. Jesus had a plan for her life.

--Again she disappeared but I kept praying for her salvation. Desperate people do not become weary in reaching out to people who need Jesus. 

Galatians 6:7-9 (NKJV)
⁷  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
⁸  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
⁹  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

--After church one Sunday we were going into Moe’s and guess who was coming out…Hollie and her mother. She introduces me to her mother as the preacher trying to get her to church.

--Her mother said, we will be in church next Sunday and that is a promise. She kept her word. During the prayer time, Hollie runs forward and gives her heart to Jesus. She is gloriously saved. I was so happy! So was heaven!

--The story does not stop there…the following Thursday she breaks up with her boyfriend because of her new found relationship with Jesus. She determined nothing would keep her from serving Jesus.

--Her boyfriend explodes in anger, drags her into his car, drives over 80 miles an hour, and purposely crashes into a tree killing her instantly. She made it to Jesus! Desperation paid off. Her mom was so thankful.

--Here’s a thought about community we must understand…when you witness to people and share Christ with them, you are probably answering the prayer of someone in the community of God. We were her answer.

2. People of community overcome fear and break through.

--These words (Break thru) were used much more when I first came into the Kingdom of God than they are now and I have a theory of why that is true. You may not like my answer.

--I believe the answer is that we have become quite lazy in our Christian walk and since a break thru implies effort and work, we are less likely to go after the things we say we need from God.

--Prosperity has made us lazy…why struggle or labor in prayer when I can buy an earthly solution to my need?

Revelation 3:15-17 (NKJV)
¹⁵  I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
¹⁶  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
¹⁷  Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--

--Jesus is teaching and because He is the greatest teacher ever, people are listening. Suddenly there is a distraction…a sound from the roof, and then, a little dust falling.

--Dirt, dust, and small parts of reed begin to fall into the meeting messing up people’s hair and their concentration. Then bigger pieces begin to fall. The owner is getting a skylight he did not ask for.

--The owner steps outside to call Allstate to let them know about the damage to his house. Jesus is here so can I clam it as an act of God? People begin to see four sets of hands laboring hard to break through. 

--These men are not going to allow anything to stand in their way…they are going to get their friend to Jesus. They become roof crashers because they love their friend and this is his only hope. 

--When was the last time you determined to break thru for a friend or someone in this community who needed a miracle? Communities pray for one another and we fight for one another. May stay up all night praying.

--Remember if this man does not have these friends he does not get to Jesus, he doesn’t have his sins forgiven, he doesn’t get healed…he doesn’t have a break through.

Ortberg – Community gets built by servants. Great community gets built by roof-crashers.  

3. People overcome their fear and are committed to community.

Urie Bronfenbrenner – A family or community is a group which possess and implements an irrational commitment to the wellbeing of its members.  

--The key word here is irrational. In great communities, people carry mats and crash thru roofs without asking the question…What’s in it for me? They trust God to do what they cannot do.

--How often do you do roof crashing? You do not have to destroy someone’s home. Mostly it involves doing two things. Noticing and doing. See a need and fill a need. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV) ²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. ²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.